Our conversion of the Chickering Piano Factory to Piano Craft Guild Housing for Artists was completed in 1974. This conversion has been widely considered to be a landmark development in the movement to “recycle” old buildings. A gallery, located on the lower level of the building, shows revolving exhibits of the building residents’ work.

The live-in studios were designed with large 8-foot doors for easy access, slop sinks for paints and a moveable closet/storage wall system to provide flexibility for the studio space. Studios were also designed for specific artists including musicians and dancers. In many of the “designed” portions of this building, we relied heavily on a collaboration with the artist residents. The apartment doorways, painted as large canvases, have involved everyone in the appearance of the building. The outdoor courtyard was designed and built with full tenant participation.